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I have to express my excitement about the show we have scheduled for podcast release on New Year’s Day. Back in 2000, Krista sat with the wonderfully insightful and heartwarmingly endearing child psychiatrist Robert Coles.

A small part of this 60-minute interview was incorporated into the show “Children and God.” This show single-handedly made a SOF superfan out of me. And, it wasn’t until recently that Krista mentioned that she spoke with him for a full hour. Hearing that was a revelation, and thank goodness Rob listened to it and recommended him for a new show, a fresh production.

Eight years later, his ideas about children’s curiosity about understanding the world and their innate spiritual sensibilities — and that they are witnesses to events and behaviors and ideas — resound so much more loudly now than when I originally heard him. Not only because I’m a father now, but more so because I’m a working witness to the economic downturn who’s asking himself basic questions about trust and need and responsibility.

We’ll be posting some preview clips from the program. I can’t wait for you to hear it.

Reflections

As much as the show has this infamous rep among the staff, this was one of the first two or three programs I listened to as well, and it got me right there. It brings me back not so much to childhood, but to stories I wrote even eight or nine years ago while in school, stuff that still resonates with me today. I'm feeling this is at least a four-hanky show (out of a possible five hankies).

Much of his book, "The Call of Stories: Teaching and the Moral Imagination" is about Williams. Coles also wrote a touching introduction to WCW's "The Doctor Stories." Wishing I had more time to read both Coles and Williams!

This is possibly the best show I've heard thus far. As a sixteen year old who delights in philosophical and religious questioning I felt that a great deal of Robert Coles' insights held special meaning for me. I am currently the founder and head of a club at my high school called ETHOS which specifically seeks to discuss faith and religion. Some of Mr. Coles' discoveries and key points reminded me a great deal of the conversations I've had with my peers. I was also reminded of some of my own childhood experiences with spirituality. I remember that for a long time, maybe even three years, the thing which I prayed for night after night was to be endowed with magical powers. It wasn’t until my father told me when I was about seven that “God just doesn’t do things like that” that I gave up on my dreams to fly and conjure up chocolate pudding at will. Thanks to everyone at SOF for putting together yet another brilliant show!